Amazing good life stuff: I just moved into a new place and as far as the physical is concerned, I love it. Nice area, nice apartment, nicely-sized garden. It came utterly barren and unfurnished which is actually a good thing as far as I'm concerned, because I finally get a place I can truly make my own, design/paint it just the way I like it, add a lot of personal touches.
Amazing bad life stuff: It's a Share of Leasehold property which means that while I own the apartment, I don't own the building it's contained in, the ownership of which is shared between the other neighbours, with whom I'm to have semiannual meetings to discuss things like how much money we're going to spend this year on maintaining/refurbishing the garden and outside area etc., and whether there are any present issues with the property. I didn't think this would be a problem when I moved in, because I figured adults would be reasonable, but fuck me, turns out the vast majority of my new neighbours are no-lifer retirees/widows with nothing better to do than gossip, bitch, complain and spy on each other.
So the sweet old lady next-door asked if she could have a key to my garden; reason being that her gardener currently has to pass through her flat to access her garden, whereas my garden has external access, and he could just pass through my garden into hers. I said I'd think about it but after doing so and consulting some more experienced friends, I politely told her I was uncomfortable with this, as while I trust her not to do anything untoward, I don't know/trust her gardener and don't want him to have a key to an area that directly overlooks my bedroom + ensuite bathroom, nor to the glass door to my living room, which I already have security concerns about living in a ground-floor flat. For her it's an inconvenience issue; for me it's a security and privacy issue.
She seemed like such a sweet old lady when I met her, and asked so sweetly, so I thought this would be fine, and she'd politely, Britishly understand and say 'no problem, thought I'd ask'. Except the moment I told her no, she immediately proceeded to flare up and throw an absolute tantrum, yell at and then threaten me.
Well fucking shit. I don't know where to go from here. Do I continue to be polite and offer a compromise (which I was going to before she lost her shit — I was going to suggest I could let her gardener in if she lets me know in advance when to be around to do so) or do I immediately cut off all contact with her and try my best to avoid her? Because she could actually make real trouble for me, due to the terms and conditions of my purchase, and I was not looking forward to making war with the neighbours the second I moved in.
Note to self: Never trust sweet old ladies.
